[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 615 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 615

Condemning revisionist education and revisionist history as it relates 
                  to the African-American experience.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2023

   Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick (for herself, Ms. Castor of Florida, Ms. 
Jackson Lee, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lieu, Ms. Adams, Ms. Crockett, 
 Mr. Frost, Mr. Evans, Mr. Green of Texas, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Wilson of 
 Florida, and Ms. Brown) submitted the following resolution; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Condemning revisionist education and revisionist history as it relates 
                  to the African-American experience.

Whereas Florida's new African-American history standards for elementary and 
        secondary school students illegitimately teach that slavery could have 
        been beneficial for enslaved people;
Whereas Florida's new history standards are a colossal step backward and an 
        insult to Black people, descendants of slaves, and the intellect of 
        people in the United States;
Whereas the impact of teaching African-American history has had a substantial 
        impact on society by exposing the Nation's original sin;
Whereas that knowledge has informed students of the realities of racism and 
        discrimination;
Whereas teaching African-American history can lead students to become vocal 
        advocates empowered to ensure justice and social change;
Whereas all sovereign citizens have the right to know where their people came 
        from;
Whereas revising African-American historical records in public schools damages 
        people of African descent;
Whereas not learning about the struggle for Black identity makes students more 
        likely to hold unreasonable prejudices;
Whereas Black people could not possibly be perpetrators of violence while they 
        were the victims of race massacres and lynchings;
Whereas whitewashing history creates gaps in students' learning by omitting key 
        context;
Whereas revising history renders learning incomplete by teaching students half-
        truths;
Whereas students hear discussions about race from media coverage and want to 
        learn more;
Whereas racist history standards create fear and anger in teachers and decrease 
        the quality of schools;
Whereas this propaganda denies students their fundamental right to explore the 
        complex history of African Americans in the United States;
Whereas the horrors of slavery must be taught unfiltered, not through 
        revisionist framework;
Whereas students deserve to know about the Nation's past, including the good, 
        the bad, and the ugly; and
Whereas African-American history is integral to United States history: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns racist education on all fronts from reteaching 
        history to attacking anything related to diversity, equity, and 
        inclusion, critical race theory, and affirmative action;
            (2) calls upon Members of Congress to denounce the racist 
        tropes found in Florida's new African-American history 
        standards for elementary and secondary school students that 
        protect the ideals of White supremacy;
            (3) pledges to advocate for education that tells the full 
        narrative of United States history and African-American 
        history, acknowledging the experiences and plight of Black 
        people;
            (4) rejects the decision to downplay the horror of slavery 
        in the United States by coupling it with required teachings of 
        ``how slavery was utilized in Asian, European, and African 
        cultures'' and ``the similarities and differences between 
        serfdom and slavery'';
            (5) promotes the dignity of African-American youth by 
        allowing them to learn the accurate historical account of their 
        ancestors and the hardships they faced;
            (6) rejects the decision to rewrite history to ingrain 
        White supremacy into the minds of children; and
            (7) urges the Florida Board of Education to immediately 
        reverse its decision and promulgate new African-American 
        history standards free of inaccurate racist tropes and the 
        assertion that Black people could find slavery beneficial.
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